The Vacation
by Drennaden
Summary: After some hounding from his friends, Sam is convinced to take a vacation in Rivendell to relax from rebuilding the Shire. Rivendell is a perfect place of rest, but getting there is the tricky part.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of the Characters.

"Prissy Elf!"

"Hairy-faced Dwarf!"

"I'll have you know that bushy beards are a symbol of pride for Dwarves! They embody strength, long life, and hardihood!"

"Not to mention they are terribly impractical and get in the way of everything. Ah! There you go! I know you've been looking for an excuse as to why you lost at Pellenor, and I found the perfect one! Aren't I such a good friend?"

"Why you-!"

Samwise Gamgee sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time. Legolas and Gimli had been going at it for hours and there were still no signs of stopping. He cast a look over to the bickering pair who by all rights should have been in a worse mood than himself considering the insults tossed at each other left and right. No, they were, on the contrary, in a perfectly amiable, pleasant mood. Arguably the best mood of their little group.

He, Rosie, Elanor, Legolas, and Gimli had set out from the Shire 11 days ago and were merrily on their way to Rivendell for a well-deserved vacation from his days working to restore the Shire to what it was before it's destruction. He had been toying with the idea of returning to Rivendell with his wife and child for quite some time. Rosie had told him it was a good idea and kept urging him to go, but Sam kept putting it off for fear of shirking his duties. Rosie viewed this as a ridiculous notion stating that Sam was the hardest working Hobbit in the Shire and few could have accomplished what he had done, but this did not sway him. What sealed his fate was when Legolas and Gimli came for an unexpected visit.

_Flashback_

"Samwise, you look terrible," said Gimli. Blunt as ever.

"He does look worn, doesn't he?" mused Rosie, a conspiratorial glint in her eye.

"Rosie! I'm perfectly fi-."

"He's been talking about going to Rivendell for the longest time now. Taking a break from his work and all," she continued as if she hadn't heard Sam. She cast a meaningful look at Legolas and Gimli. She hadn't known the pair for long, but from what they could see, they wouldn't hesitate to help a friend and were stubborn to a fault in doing so. The pair caught the look and the conspiracy spread.

"Visit Rivendell? What a wonderful idea! Why in Arda have you not gone yet?" said Legolas, directing that last question to a flustered Sam. He had not missed the looks his wife had sent the Elf and Dwarf and started to get the feeling of a cornered mouse. He wasn't going to be defeated lying down, so he defended himself as best he could.

"You know how bad the Shire was after Saruman came. Someone had to step up and help. Frodo wasn't well enough, and Merry and Pippin just ran around like chickens with their heads cut off."

"But the Shire is well and green now. It's people are flourishing," said Legolas.

"We've heard tales of the miraculous healing of the Shire even across the Misty Mountains," Gimli added.

"We still have rebuilding to do around Buckland and much of the Far Downs are still in shambles."

"Weren't you saying earlier that you already have reconstruction plans for those areas? Somebody else can oversee that while you're gone," retorted Gimli.

"I- we- bu-," sputtered Sam. The trap was closing, "I can't just up and leave out of the blue!"

"You've done it before," said Legolas, "and you can do it again. I assure you this trip will be much more pleasant than the last one."

"And if you're worrying about what the other Hobbits will think, you can forget that," Gimli added with a merry gleam in his eye, "They already think you're as strange as it gets. Silly in my opinion, but, then again, they haven't met Legolas yet."

Legolas scowled at Gimli, and sent back some flippant remark about Dwarves, but Sam didn't hear. He was too busy coming to terms with the fact that he was going to Rivendell whether he went willingly or was dragged kicking and screaming out his door. He didn't want to go because of his duty to the Shire, but he did want to go because he was in need of the uninterrupted rest Rivendell could provide. He sighed heavily.

"Fine, I'll go," he mumbled.

"Splendid! Did you hear that Master Elf? Master Dwarf? Sam's decided to go after all!" exclaimed Rosie who had slyly stayed out of the conversation.

Legolas and Gimli looked up from their now heated debate with equal grins on their faces.

"That's settled then! We'll be off to Rivendell in no time. This'll be a fun trip for all of us."

_End Flashback_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of the Characters.

Legolas's and Gimli's bickering was not the only thing contributing to the less-than-amiable mood Sam was in. It had been a pleasant journey up to this point. However, some time ago they had entered the rolling hills south of the Troll Shaws and a sudden heavy clouds had blown in and with it had come a torrential downpour. According to Legolas and Gimli, there wasn't much in the way of shelter nearby, so they wrapped Elanor up in a few oiled cloths and trudged on over the hills to wait out the rain.

Gimli and Sam had assumed they would take the road that led directly to Rivendell and had been surprised when Legolas had veered Arod south after they crossed the Last Bridge. Gimli immediately jumped on the opportunity to tease Legolas about his sense of direction.

"And see here! The Elf can't even take us in the right direction!"

At this Legolas looked quite indignant and opened his mouth to retort, and Rose looked like she had passed her breaking point a few miles back and ready to blow her gasket at the both of them. However, before the banter went into full swing or Rose could start tearing the two apart, Sam cut them off by asking why they weren't taking the East-West Road.

"It takes us too close to the Trollshaws," Legolas explained. He paused then as if remembering something, shuddered, and said, "Besides, many of the remnants of Sauron's horde fled there. If anything, that area is more dangerous now than before. I'd rather not risk it with little Elanor in tow. Don't worry, it'll only be a short delay."

That seemed to satisfy the company so they had set off on the more southern route. They had to walk because the ground was too slick to ride Arod or the ponies. Therefore they were now walking through the thick mud of the hills and glaring at Legolas who seemed to not get a speck of dirt on him.

"I had hoped it was just the snow you could walk on. This is just grossly unfair," said Sam.

Legolas just laughed and replied, "I would keep you out of the mud if I could, Master Hobbit, but that is beyond my abilities."

"Finally! Something the Elf can't do!"

And so the bickering began again. _It wasn't even that clever of a response_, thought Sam, _they enjoy it_. Samwise harrumphed grumpily and then set his mind to something other than the weather or Legolas and Gimli's need to be at each other's throats constantly. And what's a Hobbit to do in this sort of situation? Think about their next meals.

He was very glad for this new train of thought, and endeavoring to cheer her foul mood, he included Rosie as well.

"Rosie, what do you suppose we'll have to eat for supper when we stop for the night?" he asked.

She started out of her glaring and thought for a moment. "Something that'll warm you up from the belly. This chilly rain is seepin' into my bones."

"Maybe a stew? That always warms me up."

"That sounds about right. A good thick stew with potatoes, carrots, onions, and meat," she said. Her face had lightened considerably.

"And plate of mushrooms on the side. The kind made with wine," added Sam. At that they both sighed dreamily.

"And a thick slice of hardy bread and butter to sop it all up. And to drink... we'll..." she faded out. And then shot a look at Legolas and Gimli. Only now did he realized they had gone silent. Looking back at them he saw that Legolas had a concerned look and Gimli looked very grim.

"What's the matter, Master Dwarf?" called Sam. He had an uneasy feeling. The look on Gimli's face did not bode well, and the last time he saw that look on Legolas's face was when the flock of Crebain had passed them during their time with the Fellowship.

"The ground feels wrong here," Gimli replied, "I can feel its restlessness. Stay on your guard, and follow my lead if anything happens. Bad things happen to those who ignore a Dwarf in these matters," at this he looked pointedly at Legolas who wasn't looking at him but still managed to appear sheepish.


End file.
